1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording and/or reproducing device for performing recording and/or reproducing operations, and more particularly, to a recording and/or reproducing device provided with a shutter for opening and closing an insertion slot of a front panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a recording and/or reproducing device, for example, a 3.5-inch floppy disk drive, is known such that a recording medium (disk) is accommodated in a hard cartridge so as to read or write information from/into such recording medium.
The following type of such a device is also known such that a cartridge insertion slot is closed without having a cartridge loaded therein so as to prevent the entry of dust from the outside, thereby providing protection from read/write errors caused by the attachment of dust to a transducer or to the surface of a medium.
Such a conventional recording and/or reproducing device will be explained with reference to FIG. 6.
A front panel 3 used as a design element is attached to the front surface of a chassis 2 of a recording and/or reproducing device generally denoted by 1. An insertion slot 4 for receiving a recording medium therethrough is formed on the front panel 3. A shutter 5 is pivoted to the chassis 2 so as to open and close the insertion slot 4 of the front panel 3 and is urged in the direction for closing the insertion slot 4 by a coil spring, or the like.
Mounted on the chassis 2 are a spindle motor for setting and rotating a recording medium, a magnetic head for reading and writing a signal from/into the recording medium, a carriage for transporting the magnetic head to a desired recording track position, and a circuit substrate for controlling the overall device (which elements are not shown). Upper and lower shield covers 6 are mounted to cover such elements on the chassis 2.
These days, information processing devices, such as computers and word processors, loaded with the foregoing recording and/or reproducing devices, are being widely used. Such devices are becoming smaller and lighter for easy portability.
When the user transports the recording and/or reproducing device (FDD)1, for example, in order to connect the device (FDD)1 to a host processor, such as a personal computer, the user holds the device (FDD)1 in the directions indicated by the arrows F shown in FIG. 6, and whereby stress is most likely to be applied in such directions.
As illustrated in FIG. 6, when a large force F is applied downward without having a cartridge loaded into the device FDD1, the lower surface (free surface) 5a of the shutter 5 abuts against the inner surface 3a of the inward projection of the front panel 3. When a larger force F is further applied, the following problems might occur. The lower surface 5a of the shutter 5 slides along the inner surface 3a of the front panel 3 in the direction for inserting the cartridge (as indicated by the broken lines in FIG. 6), thereby deforming the front panel 3, the shield cover 6 and a cartridge supporting element (not shown) within the FDD1, and accordingly detracting from the outer appearance from an aesthetic point of view (deformation of the front panel 3). Further, the cartridge insertion slot 4 and a cartridge are in contact with each other to be worn out during insertion and ejection so as to be scratched, or a cartridge is unable to be inserted.
As described above, the shutter 5 unavoidably slides in the direction for inserting a cartridge (rearward direction) with the application of stress even though a stopper is arranged with a view to preventing the shutter 5 from advancing forward from the front surface thereof, thereby causing the foregoing problems.
Such problems occur particularly due to rough handling of the recording and/or reproducing device 1. In view of this background, there is a great demand from the user for a recording and/or reproducing device resistible to such rough handling.